Automatic trash bagger

ABSTRACT

The Automatic Trash Bagger introduces the concept of electronically sensed fullness and automatically tying a trash bag within a trash canister, which offers a more sanitary way to remove garbage from the home, office, etc. The Automatic Trash Bagger relieves the owner of the duty of pushing trash down into the receptacle to fit when full, pulling the trash bag up and tying it while contaminating their clothes and hands. Unlike the traditional trash can, the Automatic Trash Bagger is electronic and ties the bag for the owner or user. The only responsibility to the owner is to lift out the tied bag and dispose of it.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional patent application filed for present invention on Dec. 7,2006, application No. 60/873,302

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Applicable

REFERENCE TO SUBSEQUENT LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTINGCOMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The Automatic Trash Bagger relates to electronics household items;particularly to a trash can containing a sensor, which signalsmechanisms within to close and tie a bag within when it senses fullness.

Typical trash receptacles allow the owner to touch germs and potentiallyharm their household with contamination. Many diseases and viruses canbe contracted from ordinary household trash. In fact, scientific datasuggests that trash is a breeding ground for disease, and bacteria canmultiply rapidly given the right conditions. In a 24-hour period, asingle germ can multiply 281 trillion times. After one contaminatesthemselves with these germs and touches others and their householditems, illness is inevitable.

With typical trash receptacles, usually the owner ties the trashloosely, and when taken to the dumpster near their home, pests invadethe trash, and eventually may invade the home. While flies, mice, rats,or cockroaches are added to the mix as a distribution system forpotentially harmful pathogens, the situation can evolve into anunhealthy state of affairs.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the need for atrash bag within the trash can to be touched in order to be closed andtied.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the decisionfactor pertaining to when the trash receptacle is full enough for thebag inside to be closed and tied.

It is yet another object of the present invention to lessen the amountof time the user spends in a bent forward position, in effort to fittrash, close and tie the bag.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a device that electronically bundles and sealsgarbage to offer a more sanitary way to remove garbage from the house.The invention comprise of a sensor which calculates the weight and massof contents. The computer chip within the sensor is programmed to knowwhen fullness is reached. When fullness level or weight level isreached, small sticky twist arms positioned circling the sides insidethe circumference of the lid, gather the top of the bag inward. Whengathered to a closed position, longer bag twist ties, then grab the endsof the bag and tie it in a knot.

An advantage of the present invention is that it enables homeowners andapartment dwellers, etc. to avoid an unclean appearance in the home,office, etc. due to overflowing garbage cans.

An advantage of the present invention is that it will resolve the needto push trash down with hands into the canister to make it fit.

An advantage of the present invention is that it does not force the userto remain in a bent forward position for extended time periods in aneffort to push down trash, close and tie bag.

An advantage of the present invention is that it eliminates the decisionmaking process in regards to the trash container being at a sufficientlyfull level to discard.

The advantage of the present invention is that it decreases germcontamination to the person or the user, their household possessions,and to other individuals, thereby promoting an overall sanitaryenvironment.

The present invention offers the advantage of saving users money onantibacterial products, as well as added doctor visitations due to germcontamination related illnesses.

The present invention offers the advantage of quick and easy fullgarbage bag removal, by simply lifting the tied bag out of the trashreceptacle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an above, diagonal full perspective of the present inventionwhile lid is opened, showcasing the overlapping plastic bag, the variouselectronic grabbing mechanisms, and the sensor inside the lid, as wellas foot pedal and trash can outer shell.

FIG. 2 is a partially broken side view of the present invention in anopened position from the inside, showing the sensor, and the electronicgrabbing mechanisms in a grabbing position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best presently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratinggeneral principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances,detailed descriptions of well-known devices and mechanisms are omittedso as to not obscure the description of the present invention withunnecessary detail.

FIG. 1 Illustrates one embodiment of a trash can shell 1 according tothe present invention. Referring first to FIG. 1 the assembly has atrash can shell 1, which must contain a trash bag insert 4 in order tofunction properly, which can fit inside the trash can according to sizeof the present invention, such as a standard 13 lb. trash bag to beretained inside the trash can shell 1.

The trash can shell 1 can be made from either plastic or metal. Theliner is essentially a container, and can also be made from eitherplastic or metal. The trash can shell 1 is an enclosing wall which canhave any desired shape, including oval, triangular, rectangular, squareor circular (among others), with electronic mechanisms inside beingadapted in length and size to compliment the shape.

A hinged lid 4 is hinged to the upper part of the trash can shell 1using hinged connections that are well-known in the art, and will not bedescribed in greater detail herein. The shell 1 and its hinged lid 5with various electronics can be made of a solid and stable material,such as a metal, stainless steel, and plastic; the electronics beingmade of electronic material. The shell 1 has a base 2, and a foot pedal3 which is secured to the base 2.

FIG. 1 is in an opened position, but the present invention must beclosed in order for automatic trash bagging to initiate. The foot pedal3, when pressed down, gives the allowance of the hinged lid 5 to beopened.

FIG. 1 also illustrates the trash can ridge 11 which the hinged lid 5closes over. The overlapping or closing over of the trash can ridge 11is necessary in order for gripping of the trash bag insert 4 to beaccomplished.

FIG. 2 A-A Illustrates the present invention in an opened position,showcasing the inner hinged lid with various electronics 5. A sensor 9,which measures weight and mass, is located on the inside of the top ofthe hinged lid 5. A portion of the sensor 9 is connectively inside tovarious electronic wires (not shown), used to send signals from thesensor 9 to the electronic mechanisms on the lid.

When the sensor 9 senses fullness, such as a 27 inch high, 17 inch wide,25 lb capacity segment of the present invention, multiplied by a precalculated level of full capacity, which is programmed into the sensor9, a signal is sent to the sticky bag twist arms 10, which are in adefaulted laying position to begin the close and tie process.

The sensor 9 on the inside of the hinged lid with various electronics 5,triggers the sticky bag twist arms 10 to come from a laying positioninto a diagonal, downward extended position, thus grabbing the inside ofthe trash bag insert 4 inside simultaneously. The bag twist arms 10 areon a twist arm rotator 15, which then moves the bag twist arms 10 abouthalf way around the inner ridge of lid 14, as it pulls the trash baginsert 4 around to a tight position. As the bag twist arms 10, also moveinward and downward while grasping the inside of the trash bag insert 4with semi adhesive 17 on their ends.

After the top edges of the trash bag insert 4 are in the center, the twobag ties 7 and 8, come down from the top of the inside of the hinged lid5 from a laying position against the hinged lid 5. The twist arms 10hold the bag in place, while the two bag ties 7 and 8, grab the tips ofthe bag with the bag tie fingers 16 and begin tying it into a tightknot.

Additional length of the bag ties 7 and 8 is hidden inside the hingedlid 5, which comes out as needed in order to give added length to tietrash bag insert 4. The bag ties 7 and 8 come through the inside of thelid 5 out of two small bag tie holes 13. The bag ties 7 and 8 are madeout of strong stretchable material, which allows them to tie a knot aswould a human, but tighter and more efficiently, without error.

A small green light (not shown) on the top of the lid will indicate thata trash bag insert 4 has been closed, tied, and ready for disposal. Asmall red light (not shown) next to the said green light will indicateif automatic trash bagging is in process. A yellow light (not shown)next to the said red light will indicate the need to recharge thepresent invention or it may stay plugged in. The present invention hasan inbuilt battery and an electrical cord 12 runs from the electronicsin the hinged lid 5 through the inner trash can shell 1 and out the base2 to allow for recharge.

The hinged lid 5 is self locking to the outside of the trash can shell 1when present invention is in motion. No lights on, indicates that trashmay be placed inside.

The above detailed description is for the best presently contemplatedmodes of carrying out the invention. This description is not to be takenin a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustratinggeneral principles of embodiments of the invention. The scope of theinvention is best defined by the appended claims. In certain instances,detailed descriptions of well-known devices, components, mechanisms andmethods are omitted so as to not obscure the description of the presentinvention with unnecessary detail. Those skilled in the art willrecognize that numerous modifications and alterations may be made whileretaining the teachings of the invention.

1. A trash can assembly, comprising: a shell having a bottom end theshell defining an outer periphery that encloses an interior space; a lidpivot coupled to the outer shell for movement between an open positionand a closed position; comprising: a sensor which measures weight andmass of the contents; twist arms which gather the edges of a typicaltrash bag insert, while rotating around the circumference of the innerlid which comes from a laying down position to an outward diagonalposition; twist arm rotator on ridge of inner lid, which spins the twistarms around the lid; bag ties which are the tying mechanisms, in whichafter bag is pulled by twist arms, come from a laying position on theinner lid to tie bag into a single knot.
 2. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the sensor is in the center of the lid, protruding out of theinside of the lid.
 3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the sensormeasures weight and mass of the trash can contents.
 4. The assembly ofclaim 1, wherein twist arms comprise of semi adhesive on their ends, andthe twist arms are in a semi hook shape.
 5. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the twist arms spin about half way around the inner lidcircumference as they pull edges of grabbed bag on a twist arm rotator.6. The assembly of claim 4, wherein the twist arm rotator is connectedto each twist arm, as their mode of being spun around on the ridge ofthe inner lid.
 7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein added length of thebag ties is inside of the lid, traveling through two small holes in thelid.
 8. The assembly of claim 6, wherein bag ties come from a layingposition against the inner lid, to an outward downward diagonal positionwhen sensor is activated.
 9. The assembly of claim 6, wherein bag tiesextend out of two holes in the inner lid about an inch from thebeginning points of the diameter of the said lid.
 10. The assembly ofclaim 8, wherein there are two bag ties.
 11. The assembly of claim 9,wherein the bag ties each have two outward extended grabbing mechanismson their ends.
 12. A hinged trash can lid assembly, comprising: a sensorwhich measures weight and mass of the contents; twist arms, which comefrom a laying down position to an outward diagonal position, connectedto a twist arm rotating device which is secured to the circumference ofthe inner lid; twist arm rotator on ridge of inner lid, which spins thetwist arms around the inner ridge of the lid; bag ties which are thetying mechanisms.
 13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the twist arms,twist arm rotator and bag ties are signaled from the sensor toautomatically close and tie bag.
 14. A method of automatic trash bagclosing and tying into a knot inside of a trash can assembly,comprising: a trash can assembly that has an outer shell defining anouter periphery that encloses an interior space; a foot pedal used toopen and close a hinged lid; and a lid comprising: two bag ties whichhave two bag tie fingers on the ends of each, which open and close forgrasping; many bag twist arms; a sensor, which senses weight and mass ofthe contents.
 15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the bag twist armsgrab the plastic mil (top) of the trash bag insert, to allow for closingand tying.
 16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein, there must be a trashbag insert in order for there to be proper functionality.